Loader and aligner for buttons



March 10, 1970 r. F. McKE ETAL 3,499,405

LOADER AND ALIGNER FOR BUTTONS Filed Feb. 15, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 $221, By X/fimnu 4 54WKS T. F. MCKEE ETA- LOADER AND ALIGNER FOR BUTTONS.

March 10, 1970 Filed Feb. 15. 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet. 2

March 10, 1970 T. F. M KEE ETAL LOADER AND ALIGNER FOR BUTTONS Filed Feb. 15, 1966 LOADER AND ALIGNER FOR BUTTONS Theodore F. McKee, 108 Spruce St., Muscatine, Iowa 52761, and William A. Banks, West Burlington,

Iowa; said Banks assignor to said McKee Filed Feb. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 527,414 Int. Cl. Db 3/22; B65g 47/22; B23q 7/08 US. Cl. 112113 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Loading mechanism and alignment means for positioning and advancing for sewing buttons by machine onto garments such as shirts, by providing an attachment for loading and aligning buttons into an aligned position by partially rotating the button with pins inserted in the buttons.

The present invention relates to a new and improved loading mechanism and alignment means for use in the application, positioning and sewing of buttons by machines onto garments such as shirts, and the like, and more particularly has relation to a button sewing machine for loading and aligning buttons so that the buttons are automatically fed onto and in aligned position for the button sewing machine.

The present invention provides a fully automatic feed of buttons from a supply to the work-holding clamp of a button sewing machine whereby the manipulation of the work-holding clamp applies a button to the work in position for sewing, and the sewing may be accomplished with facility so that the button is positioned and properly oriented and secured to the garment to which it is sewn.

An object of the invention is to provide a loader and aligner means for button sewing machines including means for raising and lowering an arm carrying a plurality of pins such as three, so that the pins may align the button for sewing and positioning the button in place upon a garment, as well as provide means for rotating the button in order to align the openings therein with the pins, as well as means for projecting an assembly toward the needle and elevating the arms and pins so that the sewing cycle of securing the button onto the garment may be completed with facility.

United States Patent 0 More particularly, the invention relates to a solenoid operated mechanism connected with a discharge end of a button conveyor chute, thus engaging the buttons by projecting a plurality of pins, namely, three pins, through a plurality or three of the four holes in the button so that the button holes will be aligned properly and oriented with respect to the sewing needle.

After a preceding button has been sewed, the engaged button will be released and shifted beneath the needle of the sewing machine. The loader device of the invention will also shift the button back and forth while two of the button holes are sewed and shifted again in order to sew the remaining button holes. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, usually there are 16 strokes of the needle required to complete the sewing step for one button.

A further object of the invention is to provide a loading and alignment mechanism so that buttons are fed and placed in a given position for installation on a garment by the mechanism of the present invention for being sewn thereon by conventional commercial type sewing machines.

Although the sewing machine is cycled by an operator and although the garment is placed by the operator onto the sewing machine, the only requirement on the operator in connecting the button onto the garment is to load a plurality of buttons into the feeder or loader mechanism, and to guide or position the garment into the button-applying position. As the button reaches a forward position and under the button clamp lever, the orienter means tilts up, removing the pins from the button holes, and the orienter then returns to the rear position and lowers to the next button which is seen to be sewn onto the given garment.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view showing the button loading mechanism in which the buttons slide down the chute, and a portion of the figure is shown partially broken away illustrating the component parts of a microswitch and leaf spring mechanism, in accordance with a preferred form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view shown in section, a portion thereof being illustrated in broken away view, in which the buttons are shown for movement toward the right;

FIGURE 20: is a plan elevational view showing in part the construction of the solenoid elements for shifting the alignment mechanism, as desired;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view showing the movement of the armature for moving the buttons into alignment;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view taken along lines 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the length of the illustration shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 66 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7-7 Of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 8 is an end view of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 4 without the broken away portion shown in FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a button loader and chute 10 in which the buttons pass downwardly therealong. As they reach the elbow 12 of the chute, they pass along a horizontal portion 14. The buttons have already been selected so that they are right side up, as provided by a mechanism shown in a co-pending application, Ser. No. 433,720, now abandoned. The buttons are fed by gravity down the chute or ramp 10 into the mechanism of the instant invention. This mechanism consists of a body portion 11 which is pivotally connected as by a pivot 13 to a plate 15, which is in turn connected by means of bolts 17 to the base 19 of a conventional button sewing machine (not shown). The pivoted connector permits the entire assembly to move into flush relation with a sewing table 21 underlying portion 14 upon which the material to which the button to be sewn is placed.

Overlying portion 14 is a button orienter 16, which consists of a yoke 23 having a central circular opening 25 the edges of which are recessed as at 27 to receive a rotatable plate 29 which has a plurality of pins 18 depending therefrom and corresponding to the spacing of the openings in a button 20. Plate 29 has a slotted extension 31 projecting therefrom which, when moved by an arm 42 engaging in the slot, rotates the plate 29 so that the pins 18 engage in the openings in the button and rotate the button to a position where the openings are properly aligned for engagement by the needle 52 of the sewing machine.

This rotation is effected by linear movement of a tubular shaft 33 within which the end 43 of arm 42 is fixedly secured. Shaft 33 is concentrically mounted within a sleeve 36 for linear and rotative movement, sleeve 36 being also linearly and rotatably movable. Yoke 23 is 3 fixed to sleeve 36 for movement therewith. A first bearing 35 is secured to the side of support sleeve 36, while a second bearing 37 supports the end of shaft 33, which extends rearwardly beyond the end 36a of sleeve 36, In order to rotate plate 29 shaft 33 is moved linearly by means of a solenoid 30a, which when energized moves a lever 39, pivotally mounted on a plate 41 by means of a pivot 43, as seen in FIG. 2, which through the engagement of a slotted arm 45, with a pin 47 mounted on a collar 49 fixed to shaft 33 moves shaft 33 linearly to rotate plate 29. Sequential operation of a second solenoid 3% then pivots lever 39 to move shaft 33 forwardly until collar 49 abuts the end of sleeve 36 moving sleeve 36 towards needle 52 to place a button 20a beneath needle 52 in a position to be sewn. After the button 20a is properly oriented and positioned a solenoid 40 is energized, and through the engagement of a hooked arm 51 rotates shaft 33 and sleeve 36 to release pins 18 from the openings in the button. Arm 51 is mounted on a lever 51a and is manually biased to inoperative position by a spring 51b. A stop collar 53 adjustably mounted on sleeve 36 by means of set screws 53a and 53b engaging a stop member 55 carried by bearing 35 limits forward movement of sleeve 36. A tension spring 34 connected between collars 53 and 49 returns shaft 33 to inoperative position, while a similar spring 34a connected between a pin 59 extending through shaft 33 and sleeve 33 to inoperative position. A spring 57 connected between a pin 59 extending through shaft 33 and sleeve 36 and a pin 61 fixed to body 11 urges orienter 16 toward button engaging position (see FIG. 6).

A stop member 26 fixed to a lever 63 pivoted as by a pin 65 to body 11 normally retains a button 20 beneath the orienter until moved by linear movement of sleeve 36. The lever 63 is connected to a rod 67 spring biased forwardly by means of a spring 69. When the stop member 26 is moved to button releasing position, the end of rod 67 engages a microswitch 73 to reactivate the cycle of operation.

The cycle of operation of the several solenoids is activated by conventional cam means carried by the button sewing machine.

It will thus be seen that a gravity fed button is first rotated to orient the openings therein and the button moved to a position to be sewn beneath the needle and 4 the orienter released and returned to engage the next button while the first button is being sewn, all in a com pletely automatic manner, the only manual operation required of the operator being the positioning of the material to which the button is to be sewn.

What is claimed is:

1. A loader and aligner for use with sewing machines for sewing a button, comprising a chute for gravity and vibration feeding a button to an alignment position, in which the button is sewn, stop means for retaining the button orienter means including pins for partially rotating the button about a center axis when in its alignment position so that the button holes are in alignment with the pins,- and positioning means for translating the button into a sewing position for being sewn onto a garment.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein means are provided to actuate said means and to partially rotate the control pins for orientation of the next button While a given button is being sewn on said garment.

3. A loader and aligner for use with sewing machines comprising an orienter mechanism having a plurality of small aligning pins, a loader chute for providing the feed of buttons by gravity and vibration downwardly along is length to said orienter mechanism, said orienter mechanism including means for pushing a button into aligning position, said small aligning pins partially rotating the button about a center axis so that the button is properly aligned in accordance with a desired pattern of sewing, means separately advancing a button forwardly into a sewing position after having been located by said orienter mechanism, said means displacing a successive button into aligning position, and means for tilting said orienter mechanism for removing the pins from the but ton when a button is in said sewing position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,599,146 9/1926 Ross 1l2113 2,207,077 7/1940 Stott 112-113 2,971,481 2/1961 Reeber et a1. 1121 13 3,089,443 5/1963 Asnes 112110 3,246,618 4/1966 Johnson et al. 112110 EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

